Apps and mobile websites need to load fast nowadays

Nearly half of the 18-34 age bracket expects an app or mobile website to load within 3 seconds on their smartphone or tablet or else they will look elsewhere.

"Impatient generation"

The so-called "millennials" (aged 18 - 34) have once again lived up to their reputation as the "impatient generation", shown in an online study from research firm Harris Poll with some 5,000 adult smartphone and tablet users from the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany and Australia.

Nearly half of those people (49 %) barely gives an app or mobile website three seconds to load on their smartphone or tablet. Four out of five (81 %) says they will leave the app or mobile website if it is slow or crashes. Nearly 7 out of 10 (68 %) will try the app or site one last time if it failed the first time, but 32 % will not even give it a second glance.

On top of all that, 51 % will most likely complain about the slow app or mobile website on social media, which could kill a reputation instantly...

6 out of 10 "millennials" shop online

60 % of the "impatient generation" will use their smartphone or tablet to buy more holiday gifts than they did last year. More than half in this age bracket of 18 - 34 say they will buy more with their mobile device than they do in an actual store. 62 % will use their smartphone or tablet to compare prices and read product reviews while they are in a store. Nearly 4 out of 10 (37 %) will even buy gifts on their deivce while standing in a store.

"Smartphone and tablet shopping is becoming more popular and online stores will pay a price if their app or mobile website is sluggish", Dynatrace's Erwan Paccard said. Dynatrace is the digital performance software company that ordered the study. "Retailers have to provide a decent service, not only in their stores, but also online. Otherwise, customers will walk away and complain not only to their family, friends and colleagues, but also on social media."

If they have a choice, 54 % of this generation prefers an app to a mobile website with an obvious reason: 62 % feels an app's speed and ease-of-use outranks that of websites.

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